"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." - Articles of Faith 1:13
(Disclaimer: I am not an official spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Friday, March 30, 2012

Fires of Faith

I highly recommend the Brigham Young University television series entitled "Fires of Faith," in which the lives and works of some of the early Christian reformers and martyrs are portrayed and honored. This series touches on the lives of Luther, Tyndale, Thomas Moore, and others, and explores the coming forth of the King James Bible. I love Tyndale's now famous statement: "I defie the Pope and all his lawes. If God spare my life, ere many yeares I wyl cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scripture, than he doust." You can find the series here: http://byutv.org/watch/410aac43-ef61-46a2-874d-0101c1baa0c3/fires-of-faith-part-3-the-king-james-bible.

Tyndale is also quoted in Foxe's Book of Martyrs as having stated: "I call God to record against the day we shall appear before our Lord Jesus, that I never altered one syllable of God's Word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth, whether it be honor, pleasure, or riches, might be given me." Tyndale was a man of God and a true Christian. This boldness in the face of death comes from a consecrated life, and a life well lived, or as President Thomas S. Monson has so eloquently explained: "Courage becomes a worthwhile and meaningful virtue when it is regarded not so much as a willingness to die manfully but as a determination to live decently." ("Living the Abundant Life")

In the words of the apostle Paul:"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not acharity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift ofaprophecy, and understand all bmysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the apoor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." (1 Cor. 13:1-3)

As Paul continues his discourse, one of the aspects of charity that stands out to me is that charity "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." Surely Tyndale was one of those men who rejoiced in the truth. At least one clear fulfillment of his desire that "a boy that drives the plough to know more of the scriptures" can be found in the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

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Welcome to The Good Report, a forum in which to seek, gather and report upon all that is virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy. The foundational principles of this forum are the love of God and of fellow man. The vision of this blog is to drink into one principle of love and to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.